Clamshell machine



E. J. ARMSTRONG.

CLAM SHELL MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED DEC.6. 1916.

-2 SHEETS-SHEE'A' l.

Patented Jan. 3, 1922...

E. J. ARMSTRONG. CLAM SHELL MACHINE.

APPLICATION HLED DEC. 6, I916.

.3 x 4 \m WWfi 0 1, UL95L EDWIN '1. aBNsrnoNe, or mm,- PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO BALL ENGINE com- PANY, OF ERIE, EENNSYLVANIA, A CORPORATION OF PENNSYLVANIA.

cmmsnaar. macmNm.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 3, 1922.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDWIN J. ARMSTRONG, a citizen of the United States, residing at Erie, in the county of Erie and State of Pennsylvania, have invented new and use u l Improvements in Clamshell Machines, which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to clam shell machines and consists in certain improvements in the construction thereof as will be hereinafter fully described and pointed out in the claims.

Mechanisms more generally used for steam shovels have been modified to adapt them for use with clam shells and the present invention as herein exemplified is arranged in connection with a steam shovel mechanism as ordinarily used.

'The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings as follows Fig. 1 shows a side elevation of the machine. a

Fig. 2 an end view of one of the drums showing the clutch engaging the flange thereon.

Fig. 3 a vertical section of the drums showing the brake flange thereon.

Fig. 4 an end view of the driving gear for the closing drum, showing the clutch actuating mechanism, partly in section.

Fig. 5 an end view of the gear driving the hoisting drum showing the clutch actuatin mechanism in elevation.

Fig. 6 an enlarged view of the clutch actuating valve on the line 6-6 in Fig. 7,"the valve chest cover being removed.

Fig. 7 a section on the line 7-7 in Fig.6.

Fig. 8 a section on the line 88 in Fig.6.

Fig. 9 a section on the line 9-9 in Fig-:6.

hoisting line 12 is secured to the boom at 13. and runs through the hoisting block 11 and through a pulley 14 on the end of the boom to the hoisting drum 15.- A pulle block 16 is attached to the pivot pin 7 o the jaws otherwise supported when p at the moment of-opening the shell. Fig 10 a section on'the line 10-10' in 6. The the bloc 11. A closing line 18 is run through the blocks 16 and 17 and carried lpulley block 17 is suspended from a over a pulley similar to 14 at'the end of the boom and back to the closing drum 19.

ing it this may be more readily understood. As shown in Fig.1 the shell. is open and the load discharged. At this point both lines 18 and 12 running throughresistance than t e line 18. The clam shell therefore, descen s in its open position. This result is more surely accomplished by reason of the weights 20 which are hung on the pin 7. With the clam shell in this open position on the material, the line 18 is then drawn in. Inasmuch as there are several wraps of the line 18 between the pulleys 17 and 16, these pulleys are drawn toward each other with a great deal more force than the lifting force of the line 18 on the clam shell. The efiect, therefore, is a downward pressure on the ulley 17 and the consequent downward pus of the links 8 with a consequent closing movement of the jaws 6. This movement is continued until the jaws are closed.

It is obvious that theshell might be lifted by the line 18 and if this were done there, of course, would be no tendency for the jaws to open but inasmuch asthe load must be it is desirable to have the load lifted by the same means that supports it when it is being opened and this is done with the hoisting the shell is open,

line 12 so that there is no transfer of load lines 18 and 12 as the shell is lifted, not only because of this difference in the running of the lines with relation to the. shell but also an unavoidable difi'erence in the wrapping of the lines on the drums. One of the difiiculties, therefore, in a device of thiskiud is to lift the shell while maintaining tension on the closing line.

After the shell has reached the top of its travel, the boom is swung to the desired 7 position, the line .12 is held and th'e line v 18 played out, thus permitting of the opening of the jaws through the action of the weights on the pivot 7 These movements are acv complished with a great deal of rapidity and'in'a very convenient manner. in the l present invention. The usual mechanism is arranged on the platform, such as a boiler.

21, the pipe 22' connecting the boiler with the engine 22.; The engine shaft 23 drives a gear 24 and" the gear 24 drives a hoisting drum gear 25. The hoisting drum. is mounted on the drum shaft 26 and thedrum shaft is journaleddn the frame or posts27." The hoisting drum gear 25, meshes" the closing drum gear 28.. The closing drum 19 is mounted on the drum shaft 29 and the drum shaft is carried by the posts or frame 30..

Each drum f is provided with a clutch flange'having a clutch surface 32. A clutch I band33 operatesupon the clutchsurfa ce 32.

A bolt 34; is secured to one end of the band" .33 and a head 35 is adjustably secured be i tween the nuts 36 on the bolt '34:. r

A 3 mounted on a shaft 40. So far. as described Aneye bolt 37 extends through an open- 1 this clutch mechanism is'one of common construct'ion' VW en the shaft 40- is rocked the crank pin 39 sets or releases the clutch band- 33 thus looking or re1easingthedrum from the drum gear.

In the structure shown, the clutches are fluid actuated. A pipe 41 isconnected with j s an opening 42'axia I r shaft 29. A pipe 43 connects the passage 40 1y arrangedin the drum 42 with a cylinder The cylinder is se cured'to the drum gear by means of'a pin 45. The'piston 46operates. in the cylinder and is connected by a rod 47 with a rock.

arm 48-, the rock arm being fixed .onfth'e shaft 40. A spring '49 extends'fromfthe. rock arm 4C8 to a lii'g 50 "arranged .on'the .cylinder 44. 4 r

W hen fluid under pressure isdeliveredtd the cylinder: 44; it actuates the piston, forethe crankshaft 40 and tightening 'theflban' 33. When the. cylinder is r'elieved of pressure, the spring 49 returns the rock shaft. A pipe 51' isf'connected with an opening 52 arranged atthe axis of the drum shaft. 26.:

A pipe 53 extends from thepassage 52 to a A cylinder '54, this cylinder being connected by a pin 55 with the drum gear 25. Aconnecting rod 56 extends from the piston, (not shown) similar to the piston 46, to the rock arm 58. A rock arm 58 is fixed on'the shaft 40 .ofthe drum" gear 25. A'spring 59 ex- 'tendsjfro'm the rock arm 58 to a lug-6O on the cylinder. f {Ihe operation of this mecha- 'valve port 77 being in alinement with the mg the rock arm 4.8 outwardly, thus rockin passage 78 with'the ex aust port 76 so that 'thejclutches on both the closing and hoistnism is similar to the mechanism operating 65," the clutch on the closing drum just hereinbefore described. These clutches have ,been heretofore provided for devices of this kind;

I have provided a valve mechanism fo'i'w operating these clutches which will auto- .70 matically take care of the difference in travel between the lines during the lifting. A valve 61 is mounted on the frame. It is operated b a. hand' lever 62 which is-con- 'nected' to hevalve stem 62 by a link 63. Steam is supplied to the valve'by a pipe 64:, the pipe extendin from the engine connectionby Way 0 the pipe 22 and to an inlet opening 65 in thevalve plate 66. The valve chest 67 is formed by the valve cover 68 which is secured on the plate 66. A valve '69 operates over the valve plate 66. The stem 63 is secured to this valve. The movement is communicated to the valve -'b the links and lever heretofore describe a The valve plate has a port 70 leading to the passage71in the plate 66, the passage 71 7 Sage 73 and the passage '7 3 is connected with the -pi'pe' tl leading to the clutch mechanism on the closing drum. 7

exhaust port-74 is arranged in the face of the plate66 at one side of the ports 70and 72 audit is connected with the-exhaust passage 75'leading to the outer air or a convenient point of discharge.

The valve, has an exhaust passage 76- whichv is at all times open to the exhaust port'74. The passage76 is connected with. a valve port 77' by a cross passage78, the

ports 70 and 72 in the plate 66. A valve port 7 9. extends through the valve and is adapted tobebrought into register with-the ports 70 and 72 sons to deliver steam to these ports. A restricted valve poi-t 80 also ex- 11 tends through the valve and isadapted to be I bronght'into register with-the port 72. A

restricted discharge passage 81 extends from theface of the valveto the exhaust port 76, the end of the restricted passage 81- at the face of the valve bein ,located to bebrought into register with t e port '72 simultaneously with the valve ort- 80.

The operation of t e valve mechanism is as f0llows:-With the. valve inits extreme position to the right, the opposite from that shown" in the figures, the exhaust. port 77 will brid e both the ports 70 and 72 andconnect t ese ports bway of the cross ing drums willbe released. In this condition vtluglclagrn shell would fall. through its the clam shell.

."this line will be kept I nections to the fluid actuated clutch on theclosing drum, thus setting this clutch. The closing line 18 will then be drawn in closing Immediately this is accomplished, the valve is moved to the left to the position shown in Figs. 6 to 10. This will bring the port 7 9 into register with the port and will cut off the port 77 from both the ports 70 and 72. Steam passing through the port 79, port 70, passage 71 will bedelivered by way of the pipe 51 to the fluid actuated clutch on the hoisting drum. This will set the hoistin line 12 in motion, thu hoisting the clam 51811.

Steam will at the same time be admitted.

by way of the valve port 80 to the port 72 and passes from the port 72 by way of the passage 73 and pipe 41 to the fluid actuated mechanism of the closing drum so that the clutch of the closing drum will be set and in motion; It is here that the difliculty heretofore mentioned exists. If the closing line 18 is drawn in more rapidly than the line 12, or the line 12, is

drawn. in more rapidly than the line 18,

one or the other of and the operation fered with. It is particularly desirable to have these two drums operated from the same engine as it is possible with this conthese'lines will be slack 'struction to utilize the ordinary steam shovel mechanism for this purpose.

To obviate the difficulty suggested, I vary the action of the clutch on the closing drum so that the engagementof the clutch will not be sufficient to lift the clam shell. Under these conditions, this line will not lift the load but will be maintained under tension. \Vhen the port 80 is brought into register with the port 72, the restricted passage 81 is also brought into register with the passage 72 so that steam is exhausted through the passage 81 from the port 72 to the exhaust port 76. I By prop'ortioning the capacity of the restricted passage 81 with relation to the port 80 which is also restricted, the pressure on the clutch of -the closing drum may be reduced to any degree desired. It the passage 81 is very minute as compared to the port 80, the steam pressure reaching the clutch will approximate the team pressure in the valve chest but if the passage 81 is very large as comared with the port 80, then it will exaust the steam delivered through the port 80 with very little restriction so that the pressure on the clutch will be a little above duced pressure brought about by of the mechanism inter.-

the pressure in the exhaust port. It will be readily seen, therefore, that the pressure which is delivered to the closing drum clutch may be reduced to the extent desired so as to g1ve to the engagement of this clutch just suflicient tension to the line 18 to maintain the clam shell in closed gagement of the clutch maybe suflicient to make the pull .on the line 18 a factor in the lifting of the clam shell.

It will be noted that these diiferent 'actions of the valve are accomplished with a single controlling lever-through a ingle valve, thus assisting the operator in the position, or the en- 'control. This is a matter of very great considerationbecause in devices of this kind the operator has the different controlling mechanisms to handle.

In order that the frictional engagement of the clutch on the closing drum may be more positively adjusted, I have provided a yielding stop for thisclutch mechanism which A stop lever pin 83 on the will accomplish this purpose. 82 is pivotally mounted on a closing drum gear. A spring 84 extends from the lever 82 to a lug 85 on the gear. A stop shoulder 86 on 'the rock lever 48 contacts, as the rock arm 48 i moved, the stop face 87 on the stop lever 82. At this point it is opposed by the spring 84which is under tension and the movement of the rock arm 48 is thus, therefore, arrested so long as the piston is subjected to the rethe passage 81. The position of the stop face 87 is accuratelyfixed by the stop 86 and the clutch band 33 is adjusted by means of the' nuts 36 on the bolt desired engagement the stop 86 is in face 87.

When the closing drum is pulling the line 18 to close-the shell, the full force of the clutch is desired. As hereinbefore described, the initial operation of the valve brings the valve port 79 into register with the port 72. Under these conditions the full valve chest. pressure is delivered to the clutch on the closing drum and this pressure is suflicient to overcome the yielding stop 87 and to set the clutch band 33 tightly upon the flange 32.

34 so as to give just the with the flange 32 when contact with the stop In the operation of the clam shell, there- I fore, the rock arm 48 is first moved out to the stop 88 until the line 18 closes the shell andthen with the movement of the valve bringing the ports 80 and 81 into register with the port 72, the rock arm 48 moves in- Wardly to a position bringing the lever 82 The hoisting drum has the usual brake V LdOLQM haisting line; a closing drum 'for the closing oneend of the brake band being secured to a rod 91 and theopposite end to clever 93 fixed on the rod 91. The flange 89 is at the opposite side of the machine from the pperator and consequently the rod 91 is carried across the machine. A-foot lever94 is fixed I on the rod 91 in position to be operatedby the operator handling the controlling lever 62.- 'W hen the operator gets the clam'shell to a position desiring discharge, he throws the valve to the extreme rightfposition, thus bringing the port 7 7 into register'with both ports 70 and 72, and thus releases both clutches. By setting the-brake on'the hoist-' ing drum, the line 12 is held while the lid 18 is released. The brake is'held until i is desired todr-op the clam shell, when the release of the brake releases the hoisting drum and the linesare pla ed out allowin the shell to drop onto t efm'aterial.

it will be noted that the hoisting drum has, by reason of the pulley 11 and theattachment to the boom, a power advanta e over the closing line 18 which leads dlrect y over theend of the boom, Thissimplifies the controlin which the clutch controlling v the closing is permitted to slip as the load is lifted, because closing operates' faster on the load and also with the said pull has less lifting power.- The excessive slip may be relievedbyvaryin the size of the drums, but this should not where the speed of the closinglin'e asat fe'ctin' the hoisting line.

40 mg line; a closing drum for said closing What I claim as new is a .1. In a machine of the the combination of a clam shell; a hoisting line; a hoistingdrum for said line; a closline; fluid actuated clutches for said drums;

and a valve device controlling saidclutches comprising means to connect" the '-h0istin clutch with the supply and the closing clutc with the supply; and" comprising devices for reducing the supply pressure on the closing clutch and a singlecontrol-jor the valve device. r v

2. Ina machine of the class described,

the combination ofa clam shell; a hoisting line; a hoisting drum for said" line; a clos- I line; fluid, actuated clutches for said drums;"

ing. line; a closing drum for said closing and a single valve device controlling said clutches comprising means ,to connect the pbis'tin'g clutch with. the supply and the clos- 'rig'clutch with the supply and comprising devices for reducing the supply pressure on the closing clutch. l l v 1 3. In a machine of thedescribed,

the combination of a clam shell; a hoisting line; a hoisting 'dnum for said line; a closing line; a closing drum for saidt'c'losing ine; fluidactuated clutches for said drums;

[comprising a yielding stop.

e carried to a point min from said drums to, a; sing singe drive for said drums having relation to the; lines to. wind them simultaneously ;f*" 'clutch'es' for saiddriims; and devices for acg the bucket} would not be greater than lass described,

taneously with the hoisting clutch we .1

a single drive for both drums having relation to the lines 'towind them simultaneously; clutches for said drums; and mechanism for setting both clutches, comprising devices for actuating-bothclutches and comprising means for automatically varying the v engagement of one of the clutches to keep" the tension on both, lines as they are wound 511 a machi e of the class described,

' the combination of two drums; two lines running from said drums to asingle load;

a'single drive for-both drums having rela- 7 tion' to the lines to wind them simultana. ously; clutches for said drums; and mecha nism 'for setting both clutches comprising devices for actuating said clutches and com-I prising means for automatically making the. engagement of one of the clutches insuffic ent to, move the load,said means'com- "prising a yielding stop for the clutch aetuating mechanism v 1 x 6. in "a machine of the class described, -the combination of two drums; t

tuating said clutches tooperate one'of said drums 'aloneand for operating s'aid drums simultaneously with the 'Yother drumand when operating with theother drum comprising means for automatically varying the.

relative engagement of the "clutches to keep tensionpnboth lines comprising a yielding stop for said clutch actuating devices.

7. In a machine of the class described, the combinationof a clam shell; a hoisting line; a closing line; a hoisting drum for the hoisting line; a closing drum for the closing line; v

fluid actuated clutches for said drums; and

a valve device controlling said clutches comprising. means for setting the closing-clutch alone and for contfdlling said clutches to act'simultaneously and comprising means for-automatically varying thepressure on he-elosing clutchwhen operating 'simul-.

ing ayielding stop 8. In a machine of the class described, the

combination of a clam shell, a hoisting line connected to the shell in position to hoist the shell; a-closing line acting on-the shell to close the. same and connected position to hoist-the she'll; a hoi ting am at the at sour.

IAOLQBI hoisting line; a closing drum for the closing line; a single driving'means for said drums having relation to the drums and lines to give the hoisting line a power advantage and the closing llne a speed advantage; and

clutches for said drums adapted to act simultaneously and to permit slippage on the closing drum clutch. v I

9. In a machine of the class described, the combination of a clam shell; a hoisting line connected to the shell in osition to hoist the .shell; a closing line actlng on the shell to close the same and connected in position to 'hoist the shell; a hoisting 'drum for the hoisting line; a closing drum for the closing line; a single driving means for said drums having relation to the drums and lines to give the hoisting line a power advantage and the closing line aspeed advantage; and clutches for said drums adapted to act simultaneously and automatically to effect slippage on the closing drum clutch.-

10. In a machine of the class described,

the combination ofa clam shell; a hoisting line connected to the shell in position to hoist the shell; a closing line acting on the shell to close the same and connected in position to hoist the shell; a hoisting drum for the hoisting line; a closing drum for the closing line; a single driving means for said.

drums having relation to the drumsand lines to give the hoisting line a power advantage and the closing linea speed advantage; clutches for said drums adapted to act simultaneousl and to the closin rum clutc and controlling means to hrst set the closing drum clutch and then both clutches with the clutch on the closing drum automatically in slipping engagement.

11. In'a machine of the class described,

- the combination of a clam shell; a hoisting line connected to the shell in position to hoist the shell; a closing line acting on the shell to close the sameand connected inposition to hoist the shell; a hoisting drum for the .hoistingiine; a closing drum for the closing line; a single driving means for saidlpermit slippage on drums having relation to the drums and lines to give the hoisting line a power advantage and the closing line a speed advantage; clutches for said drums adapted to act simultaneously and to permit slippage on the closing 'drum clutch; and controlling 65.

for the hoisting line; a closing drum forthe closing line; a single driving means for said drums having relation to the drums and lines to give the hoisting line a power advantage and the closing line a speed advantage; clutches for said drums adapted to act simultaneously and to permit slipage on the closing drum clutch; controling means to first set the closing drum clutch and then'both clutches with the clutch on the closing drum automatically in slip-v ping engagement and then releasing both clutches; and a brake for the hoisting drum.

13. In 'a machine of the class described, the combination ofa clam shell; a hoisting line running to the shell in position to hoist the shell; a closing line actingon the shell to close the same and connected in position to hoist the shell; a hoisting drum on'which it the'hoisting line is wound; a closing drum on which the closing line is wound; clutches for said drums; and controlling devices forthe clutches for setting and" releasing said clutches simultaneously and for varying the relative engagement of theclutches to automatically keep the tension on both; lines as they are wound and to permit both torun free when released.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

' EDWIN J ARMSTRONG. 

